Dozens of runners gathered in Santa Monica early Wednesday morning to hold an impromptu marathon to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.
The "Running for Boston" tribute, which was organized within 24 hours by the Los Angeles Speed Project, began about 5:50 a.m. at the Santa Monica Pier.
Runners gathered in a circle for a moment of silence and a group hug, before beginning the run. Some went the full distance of 26.2 miles, while others chose to run a shorter length.
"When something like this devastating happens, you don't think go out and run to show your support, but at the same time, it shows that the run community can't be defeated. No matter what happens, we're still going to go out there. We're still going to be together. You can't stop us," said runner Julie Ruiz.
Nearly 200 Facebook users responded as "going," according to the event page.
"I think people underestimate the power of the American spirit and the American people," said Julia Kavich, who is not a runner but still attended the event. "When something like this happens, we just rally together, and we wave our American flags and we stand by one another. Because at the end of the day, we can be Red Sox fans or Yankee fans or Dodger fans, but at the end of the day, we're all Americans first."
Three people were killed and more than 140 injured in two explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday.
Investigators in Boston announced Wednesday that they have "solid leads" in the case.
